Why Read Books Other Than the Bible?

And Jesus said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a head of a household, who brings out of his treasure things new and old.” (Mat. 13:52 NASB)

Every once in a while I hear people saying things like: “I only read the Bible”. I went through a phase like this for a short time in my walk with Christ and now I realize how silly it was.

Scripture is the revelation of Jesus Christ and there is nothing to add to it. Likewise, it is clear that the Spirit is able to teach us all things, so we don’t need a teacher. We have Scripture and we have the Spirit, so why read anything else? This is actually similar to those who believe there is more importance to the words of Jesus of Nazareth, in the gospels, than in the writings of Paul and the apostles. This belief lacks the understanding that the same Jesus who spoke those words, became the life-giving Spirit, who spoke through Paul, the apostles, believers throughout the ages, and now us.

There are many Christians who have spent their lives studying Scripture and when we learn from them we are standing upon their shoulders. For example, Witness Lee who stood on the shoulders of Watchman Nee, was a Christian for seven decades. When we read his writing we stand on his shoulders, rather than going back and starting where he began. Someday people will stand on your shoulders, as you stand on the shoulders of others. Don’t go back to the beginning of the revelation of Christ, but stand upon the shoulders of the ever-increasing revelation of our Great Lord until He returns.

AW Tozer comes to mind. Hannah Hurnard’s little book “Hinds Feet on High Places” is absolutely inspired! And it doesn’t hurt to read some John Wesley…the man got an awful lot of it “right”. But his brother Charles…those hymns…I think He might have had more peace than John. Oh, and a really great book “Silent Killers of Faith” by my friend and brother Dr. Stephen Crosby, available here: http://www.stevecrosby.com/books.html

Thank you for your comment chosenrebel. I will share with you my little journey to reading Witness Lee. When I heard of Watchman Nee, I researched him on the internet. I saw someone wrote Watchman Nee is good, but stay away from Witness Lee. So I avoided Witness Lee. Some time later I heard Hank Hanegraaf’s radio broadcast where he apologized because his organization had previously labeled the Local Church as a cult. Since, I was searching for a group that was meeting organically, I visited a Local Church. But, it wasn’t what I was looking for. I signed up online to have some devotionals emailed to me by Watchman Nee and Witness Lee. I enjoyed Witness Lee’s devotionals, so I started reading his books and listening to the radio broadcasts of him. Everything that I have read and listened to so far has been about God’s eternal purpose and centered around Christ. Honestly, I’m not sure how a cult could be created from what I have read from Witness Lee, unless someone has misunderstood him or distorted his writing. On the other hand, I haven’t read all of his writing, considering the vast amount of it. I appreciate your warning, but I think he has been misunderstood.

No he didnt,The church is not a cult. Have a look at what The Bible Man has to say about the church on you tube. There is nothing remotely cultish about the church. Bro lee`s minstry is the New testament ministry and it brings the believers to Christ.